The words of our title come from Philippians 2:12. The very next verse begins with “for,” which introduces reason. Thus, verse 13 needs to be considered with verse 12. Paul said, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, {13} for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
The admonition to “work out your own salvation” tells us that we have a personal responsibility in being saved. Salvation is authored and made possible by God (grace), but humans must meet the conditions of God’s grace (faith) if they wish to be saved (Ephesians 2:8).
Sadly, the words, “work out your own salvation” are often misapplied by those who would like to believe that God has not established a fixed plan of salvation. They (mis)use Paul’s words to argue that salvation is obtainable through many different organizations, ways and methods. But is the apostle Paul really telling people that they are at liberty to be saved in whatever way that they choose? Is he saying that every person is authorized by God to devise his own plan of salvation? To concoct his own scheme of redemption? Are people permitted to just make up their own conditions of salvation, then claim that they are “working out their own salvation?”
Obviously not. Paul’s admonition to the Philippians has a context. Notice that just before this admonition, Paul had commended these saints for their sincere obedience. There can be no obedience without a command or commands to obey. Whose commands did they obey? Certainly not their own, for immediately after the admonition he said that their obedience amounted to “God working” in them. The conclusion is unavoidable: These saints “worked out” their “own salvation” by doing what God told them to do. They did not “work out their own salvation” by merely doing whatever they wanted to do. Salvation is for those who “do the will of God” (Matthew 7:21).
This can be demonstrated by reading the accounts of conversion that took place at Philippi several years before. Lydia and the members of her household believed the gospel and were baptized (Acts 16:14-15). The Philippian jailor and the members of his household were told to believe and be baptized, and that is what they did (Acts 16:30-33). They did exactly what Jesus commissioned the apostles to tell people to do — Mark 16:16 says, “Whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” One “works out his own salvation,” not by doing just any thing that he wants to do, but by doing what God tells him to do. Paul warned the Thessalonians that the Lord’s return would be spiritually devastating for some people: He spoke of, “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). This eternal punishment and separation from God can be avoided by doing what God commands, and this is what it means to “work out” one’s “own salvation.”
—Tim Haile